Yowls of approval rose from the crowd as the scarred gray she-cat walked up to Adder, the small white kit clinging to her back like a vice. The broad-shouldered golden tom sneered at the gray queen, purring maniacally. "Give up the fight, Littlefeather. We rogues have triumphed over ThunderClan. We rule over you now. The kit is your sacrifice."
Littlefeather stiffened as a ginger rogue pulled the squealing kit from her back, carrying him over to Adder. Adder snorted before taking the kit. "Worthless scraps like these don't deserve to live," he muttered, padding towards a soot-covered hill which stood out against the silver horizon. Littlefeather bounded after Adder, only to be caught by the guards and sent tumbling to the ground.
Sickly, scrawny cats gathered all around, wide eyes trained on Adder and the kit which stood on the hill. A black she-cat hissed in a berserk fashion, eyes darting around the clearing. "Let the slaughter begin!" she shrieked, a look of dacnomania in her eye.
Rogues all around howled as Adder hung the poor kit over the rocks below. The chaos was interrupted by a loud, clear shout from the back of the crowd; "Stop!"
Adder's head whipped around at the sharp cry, and his eyes narrowed. The kit fell from his jaws, landing on the ground with a sickening thud. "Who dares to speak out against Adder?" the black she-cat hissed, prowling forward. A she-cat with fur the color of the trees in leaf-bare stepped forward. Her green eyes pierced the black she-cat's skin like a set of sharp claws.
"I do. This slaughter is unjust, just as all the other murders were," the she-cat declared. "You know that as well as I do, Shadow."
Shadow shook her head, spluttering. "Nonsense! What is your name, she-cat? You know better than to speak out against Adder," she hissed. The golden she-cat jumped onto the high ledge where Adder had been standing moments ago. "I have no name, Shadow."
"How can this be so?" Shadow snapped, jumping up onto the high ledge beside the she-cat. The she-cat met Shadow's burning amber gaze with her cool green, and she replied, "My father never gave me one. Instead he gave me up to the Clans."
Adder stalked forward, teeth bared. "How dare you, daughter. Defying your own father as if he were just another mangy house cat," he snarled. The she-cat and her father momentarily stared at each other, as if they were having an imaginary battle. The air was suddenly thicker, and the crowd of cats below stood and watched.
The she-cat raised her paw slowly, and her claws came out. The sharp, curved claws glinted silver in the moonlight, and she snarled challengingly. "Come and fight me, father. The winner will decide the fate of young Icekit," she snapped.
Adder smirked, purring. "You really think you can defeat me, daughter? Look how easily ThunderClan was overthrown. If you spent all this time with them and haven't died yet, then I think your time will come to an end now. How sad; you are so dignified, and you still can't save your life now," he hissed. His daughter only stared at him, her eyes empty.
She stepped down off of the high ledge, narrowing her eyes. She swiped a paw at the air, and a falling red leaf splintered as her claws sliced through it. "Shall we begin? Or do you wish to throw insults at me all day? I won't be fazed. I will win, and I will save the life of this poor, innocent kit," she hissed.
Adder and his daughter started padding around each other, looks of malice mirroring each other. They hissed, snarled and spat, each waiting for the other to strike. The rogue group and ThunderClan alike were breathless, muscles bunched and claws sinking into the dirt. Finally, Adder lunged at his daughter, who had no time to run away.
The golden she-cat collapsed under her father's weight, but she didn't wait a second to strike. She kicked up her hind legs, sending Adder flying over her head and tumbling into the dust. Before her father could stand up on his tired old legs, she lunged at him and pressed her paw down on his neck. Adder leaned forward and sank his teeth into his daughter's leg, shaking it like a dog would a chew toy.
Adder's daughter reared back, slamming all her weight on her father's leg. A sickening crunch sounded, and his daughter slashed at his face. The two cats continued to tussle, biting and scratching. After a while, the golden pelts of both cats were tinted sunset red. Mud clung to their thick fur, but they didn't mind. Adder was limping now, wheezing. His daughter was so much weaker, stumbling as she walked.
"This is the end of you, daughter," Adder croaked, lashing out towards the small she-cat. The she-cat dodged and charged towards him, clumsily bowling him over. Adder whined as his daughter brought down her paw on his throat for the second time, sinking her bloodstained claws into the thick fur.
ThunderClan watched in horror as Adder's daughter murdered him in cold blood, gasping for breath every few seconds. The she-cat stumbled back, muttering something under her breath before collapsing. A golden smoke she-cat ran forward, squeaking. "Mother!"
Adder's daughter raised her head slowly. "Willowpaw," she whispered, gasping for air. "My final wish… My final wish is for you to be the best you can be. Forget about me, and my father. Just be the best you can be, and fight for what you believe is right. I'm sorry I have to leave you…"
The she-cat gave a final huff before her head fell to the dusty ground. Willowpaw shoved her nose into her mother's fur, whimpering. "Mother," she whispered. A bulky brown tabby stalked forward, tilting his head up towards the sky. "I, Falconstar, leader of ThunderClan, call our warrior ancestors to look down on this she-cat. She was once an outsider, but she gave her life to give ThunderClan freedom. StarClan, please receive this unnamed cat as Honeyfoot, a true warrior of ThunderClan."
The crowd murmured, before taking up a chant. "Honeyfoot, Honeyfoot."
The rogues stared at their dead leader, and then at the mourning ThunderClan cats. They didn't look back as they fled, Shadow in the lead. Falconstar flicked his tail, signaling for the crowd to disperse. Willowpaw only stared at her mother's motionless body, muttering, "No."
Adder's daughter raised her voice at the cost of her life.
Author's Note: This oneshot was based off of the song Abraham's Daughter by Arcade Fire. If you listen to the song, you'll understand better. Why is this story important? Willowpaw will make important appearances in the last twelve chapters of Deep Shadow. Chapter sixteen is coming later today, so look for it~
-Penni-